At the Yediot Ahronot conference, former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot alleged that after an Israeli F-16 was shot down over Syria on February 10, 2018, he decided to launch a broad strike on Syrian and Iranian targets. Eisenkot claimed that then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was asleep and unreachable for hours, forcing him to order the operation independently. He added that when Netanyahu finally arrived three hours later, he halted further strikes before another very important operation could be carried out.
Former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot's remarks at the Yediot Ahronot conference have generated further discussion. The Zioneer reported earlier today on the initial fallout. In the ongoing account, Eisenkot specified that after the downing of an Israeli F-16 over Syria on February 10, 2018, he ordered a broad retaliatory strike on Syrian and Iranian military targets. He alleged that then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was asleep and unreachable, leading him to act without political authorization. Eisenkot further claimed that when Netanyahu arrived three hours later, he stopped further operations, preventing what Eisenkot described as a very important strike. The conference comments represent one of the most detailed public accounts by a former top official of a breakdown in civilian-military communication during a crisis.
3 developments
- DevelopingNetanyahu called Trump after helicopter downing, asked him not to respond — Barak Ravid reports
- DevelopingFormer minister Gadi Eisenkot slams Netanyahu's statement as offering no real answers
- DevelopingEisenkot on Oct 7 commemoration: Netanyahu must reveal cabinet protocols, expose the truth
- DevelopingSenior official: Netanyahu did not watch Aizenkott video, not dealing with death threats against family
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